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Thursday, September 10, 2015

The Prince George's County Police Department announced today the arrest of a man in connection with a murder and arson in Oxon Hill (see their release below). Personnel from the Office of the Fire Marshal worked jointly with the police and were responsible for determining the cause and origin of the fire. The original Fire/EMS Department Press Release about the incident can be found here.

PGPD Arrests Suspect in Murder of Ex-Girlfriend

Maurice Wigfall Jr.

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit arrested a man in connection with the murder of his ex-girlfriend. He’s 26-year-old Maurice Wigfall Jr., of the 3300 block of Springdale Avenue in Forestville. The victim, 21-year-old Latiqua Cherry, was killed in her Oxon Hill home in May.

On May 17, 2015, at about 5:00 am, neighbors called 911 to report smoke in an apartment building in the 600 block of Audrey Lane. Fire crews quickly extinguished flames inside an apartment and discovered the body of a woman who had suffered burn injuries. The victim was later identified as Cherry. A medical examiner ruled Cherry died from trauma to the body prior to the fire being set in her apartment.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday charging Wigfall with first and second degree murder and arson. He was already in custody at the Department of Corrections on an unrelated charge.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 301-772-4925.

The month of September is shaping up to be a very busy month and one of the busiest of the year for the Fire/EMS Department. Numerous events will attract thousands of visitors to the County and your Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department is up to the task. In addition to the numerous events we also anticipate responding on nearly 12,000 fire and EMS calls for service during the month of September.

September is National Preparedness Month. Are you ready in the event of a disaster?? Do you have an emergency kit stocked and ready to go?? Visit the FEMA web site on being READY and take advantage of readiness and awareness tips to ensure you and your family are ready.A Softball Championship for Firefighters from across the United States and Canada will be held. Festivities start on Thursday, September 10 and run through Sunday, September 13. All activities will be held at Watkins Regional Park in Kettering, Maryland. Plenty of fun and excitement for the entire family. For more information visit this website by clicking here. All proceeds are donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.On Saturday, September 12, there will be a National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Stair Climb and 5K Walk/Run. This event raises money for the Foundation and is a great time for everyone involved. This event is held at the Gaylord National Hotel at the National Harbor. For additional information click here.The Prince George's County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association will hold their Annual Convention September 12 through the 19th. The Convention is being hosted by the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department. Not all events are open to the public but be sure to check out the competitive events. For a full schedule of convention activities, click here.The Prince George's County Fair will be held September 10th through the 13th this year at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington. You can click here to visit the website that details all the family fun and excitement at this years County Fair!!!The American Red Cross of the National Capital Region will hold a 9/11 Day of Service on Saturday, September 12. The Red Cross will team up with firefighters to install 10-year smoke alarms in the West Lanham Hills area. Participants will meet at the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire/EMS Station on Good Luck Road at 7:00 am and begin door-to-door canvassing of the community later in the morning. In addition to firefighters from West Lanham Hills, Greenbelt, Bowie and Glenn Dale are expected to particpate.Joint Base Andrews Air Show is September 18 and 19. The 18th is for DoD only. This event is always well attended and will have plenty of PGFD Fire/EMS units there as well. Click here for additional information.

2015 Papal Visit to Washington DC occurs on September 22nd through the 24th. Pope Francis will land at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County on September 22nd and depart on the 24th. It is unknown if the visit will place any special demands on Prince George's Public Safety or possible traffic related problem in the County. Click here for more information about the Pontiffs visit.

The Prince George's County Fire and Rescue Association (PGCVFRA) will hold a Line of Duty Death Memorial and Founders Circle Celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, September 26 starting at 12 noon and will be held at the Cranford-Graves Fire/EMS Services Building, 6820 Webster Street in Landover Hills (GPS-Hyattsville). For additional information on this event please contact the PGCVFRA office at 301-583-1910.

The Washington Redskins will have 3 home games at Fed Ex Field in Prince George's County during September. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department has about 60 Firefighters and Medics on duty at each home game. Home games are September 3rd (7:30 pm exhibition game), 13th and 20th (regular season games at 1:00 pm). For additional information, click here.

The University of Maryland Football team also has 3 home games at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, College Park, Prince George's County, MD. Home games are scheduled for September, 5th, 12th and 19th, all starting at 12:00 Noon. For additional information click here. There are always plenty of firefighters and medics on hand at the game and in the parking lot.

The Prince George's County Fire and Rescue Association (PGCVFRA) will hold a Line of Duty Death Memorial and Founders Circle Celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, September 26 starting at 12 noon and will be held at the Cranford-Graves Fire/EMS Services Building, 6820 Webster Street in Landover Hills (GPS-Hyattsville).

For additional information on this event please contact the PGCVFRA office at 301-583-1910.

LODD April 15, 2016

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant John "Skillet" Ulmschneider

Donate to Sparky Fire Fund

Tragically firefighters will find pets that have been injured in home fires. Sometimes owners are not availiable to bring their pet to a emergency vet or may not have the resources to afford medical care. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Anne Arundel County SPCA have teamed up and created a fund whereas medical care for the pet would be covered in part or in full.
Please consider donating today. Please designate your donation to the Sparky Fire Fund.
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